On the one hand, women are encouraged to be comfortable in their bodies and if they aren’t, they’re not confident (much of our Western society is built upon praising attributes of confidence) and something must be wrong with them. On the other, there is such shame attached to a woman who shows her body, and even if there wasn’t shame, the hardened notions of “beauty” have been so skewed to an extreme that most women can’t match it.

Why is there such fear surrounding the female form? Why must she be degraded if she feels like displaying parts of her which men freely show with no stigmatization?

As a young girl, I grew up so ashamed and fearful of my own body. It wasn’t the “ideal” I saw in magazines and I was afraid of judgment from my peers if I dressed even subtly suggestive. I was taught to be defensive- the woman was always the instigator and the rights never were hers. As a woman, I’m so sick of the self consciousness and self hatred drilled into me and women everywhere by our methods of socialization.

My choice to disrobe is one made as a woman. I accept and love my body. It may not be the proportions of a runway model but for once I really DGAF. There is immense power in nudity if it comes from the right mentality. “Empower” might be an empty word but it is the ability to openly accept objectification, seize and then dismantle it that I’m drawn to. It is never my body that will truly capture you. It’s my personality, my heart and mind (and anyway- do you really even want the people who are captured only by your body, in your life?). It’s really such a small factor made into an obscenely big deal. It is our natural state of being. We were born this way and we die this way.

I know by posting this I’m going to receive numerous requests for nude sessions. No. That is not what this means.

On another note- jet lag is killing me. I wish I could sleep! But early morning spin class and a flight back to NYC await.